"Which Translation is the Best?"

"Which Translation is the Best?"

George H. Guthrie
Bible Translation, Reading the Bible

From time to time, especially when I have been teaching on Bible translation at a church, someone will approach me and ask, “Which translation is the best?,” or “Which do you recommend?” It is a good question, especially since there are so many options out there in English, and people rightly are concerned to get a translation that is true to the original writings of the Bible.

 

The Fascinating Case of the Missing Manuscript!

The Fascinating Case of the Missing Manuscript!

George H. Guthrie
Bible Translation, Interpretation, Methods, Motivation

If we look at 1 John 5:7-8 in the KJV, we find the following:

For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness in earth, the spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.  

Compare this, for instance, to the ESV, which corresponds to all modern translations: 

“For there are three that testify: the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three agree.” 

The question, “Why the difference?,” marked out in bold type in the first quotation, makes for a fascinating story and is perhaps the clearest example of why some words found in the KJV are not included in our modern translations.

4 Interesting Facts about the Production of the King James Translation

4 Interesting Facts about the Production of the King James Translation

George H. Guthrie
Bible Translation, Cultural Background

I am a fan of the KJV as a religious and literary masterpiece. As Geddes MacGregor points out, 

“In respect of both equipment and method, . . . the translation was made according to the highest standards of scholarship and the most advanced knowledge of the day.” 

An amazing collection of scholars—most of the best of England’s biblical savants—were able to produce a work that made an impact on the world for four centuries, and that is something to be celebrated.

6 Reasons We Shouldn’t Freak Out over Word Variations in our Modern Translations

6 Reasons We Shouldn’t Freak Out over Word Variations in our Modern Translations

George H. Guthrie
Bible Translation, Delight in the Word

In my last blog post I discussed "Augustine's Angst" over words in Jerome’s Latin translation of the Old Testament from Hebrew, words that didn’t line up with the beloved Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament). Most of us can identify with Augustine. In the 1970s, when I was a high school student, I was greatly puzzled by the omission of the words “in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one” (1 John 5:7, KJV) in my new “modern” translation! 

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